Ignition apparatus for internal-combustion engines



A. DUTREUX.

IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. m9.

1,397,86 1 Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE DUTREUX, OF PARIS,

LEQUIPMENT ELECTRIQUE DES FRANCE, A. CORPORATION OF FRANCE.

Specification f Lette Patent. Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed April 16, 1919. Serial No. 290,548.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUoUsrn DUTREUX, citizen of the French Republic, and residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, in France, (and whose post-office address is 36 Avenue Hoche, in the said city,) have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Ignition Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present-invention relates to a device for enabling the advance of the spark of motors to be automatically varied, and may be applied to a magneto or to an interrupter the current to which is supplied either by a magneto or by a source of electricity other than a magneto such as cells, accumulators, dynamos, etc., and may form part of the ignition apparatus or be mounted separately, according to the various known arrangements. 1

The device comprises essentially a first member keyed to the main shaft of the explosion motor, and a second member keyed on the apparatus which includes the interrupter, the shaft of this apparatus being displaced in accordance with the speed of the motor in relation to the first member. The driving of the second member by the first is effected by the device forming the subject of this invention and comprises one or more centrifugal masses connected by means of springs to the driving and driven member.

he principal object of this arrangement of springs is to avoid the varying degrees of friction, which in the usual systems interfere with the operation of the centrifugal mass, delaying more or less its movement with variations in speed and rendering it diflicult to manufacture identical devices, or even a device which will give consistently similar results from time to time, wear causing the play and friction to vary.

Figures 1 and 2 show one constructional example, Fig. 1 being a longitudinal sectional view and Fig. 2 a transverse sectional view of the device.

Figs. 3 and 4 show modifications.

Fig. 5 shows another method of constructing the device.

Fig. (3 shows a constructional detail.

In Fig. l, the disk 1 is keyed on a shaft which forms part of the motor itself or which is connected to the shaft of the motor by a coupling of some kind, preferably an Oldham joint or better still by a flexible joint.

The disk 2 is a driven disk keyed on the shaft of the apparatus adapted to be displaced, according to the speed with respect to the disk 1.

Two brackets 3 and 4, diametrically o1- posed, are formed integral with the disk 1;

detail constructional they are cut away as indicated in the drawing, so as to permit flat springs 5 to be fixed. These fiat springs are bent in order to 00- cupy, when at rest, the position indicated by the full line in Fig. 2, and are fastened on the brackets 3 and 4 by means of plates 6 andJT and bolts 8 and 9. The free end of the springs 5 carry centrifugal masses indicated generally by the numbers 10, 11, said masses being also carried by other similar springs 12, the other ends of which are fastened to brackets l3-1 forming part of the disk 2 and comparable to the brackets 3, 4, the connection being obtained in the same manner by plates 16 and bolts 17-18.

The device operates in the following manner:

Under the action of centrifugal force, the masses 10-11 deviate from the center deforming at the same time the springs 5, 12 which maintain them in place. If in this displacement the relative movement of the disk 2 in relation to the disk 1, which may be assumed to be fixed, is considered it will be seen that the masses 10, 11, shown in full lines, take up the position 19, 20 shown in dotted lines. The springs 5 and 12, as a 1 result of this movement, take the form 21 disk 2, are displaced on a circumference of the angle which represents the relative displacement of the the dimensions of the parts and the curvature of the springs are fixed so that this angle has-a value suitable to the desired speeds suitable modifications enabling these elements to vary the curve of variation of advance given by the device.

As the speed diminishes the deformed springs 21 and 22 tend to resume the1r original position 5 and 12, approaching the center of themasses 10 and 11, and the disks 1 and 2 return to their initial position.

All these movements take place with little friction.

It is to be remarked that the brackets 3, 4:, 13 and let, their securing plates 6, 7, 15, 16 as well as the parts forming the centrifugal masses 10, '11 have such a form that the springs may become deformed without difliculty to their limiting position.

This movement may, if desired, be limited by suitable stops, for example by flanges 1--2 on the disks 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 6.

The springs 5 and 12 may be designed so that the displacements of the disks 1 and 2 may be varied and, in particular, their action may be combined with that of other springs either with the object of increasing or decreasing their movement.

Fig; 3 shows one manner in which an auxiliary spring 25, fixed on the bracket 14:, may engage the bracket 3, tending to separate the two parts and consequently counteractthe effect of the springs 5 and 12. This action only occurs in the early stages in order to facilitate the commencement of the displacement of the two disks, and when their separation has passed a certain angle the pressure of the spring weakens until it 7 becomes almost imperceptlble.

Fig. at shows the employment of an auxiliary helical spring 26, hooked respectively on the brackets 3 and 14 and 1 and 13; the action of which is added to that of the springs 5 and 12, and serves consequently to bring togetherthe two disks 1 and 2 by exerting tension which increases with the relative displacement of the two disks.

Fig. 5 represents a modified construction in which the brackets which attach the springs to the disks 1 and 2 are constituted by the pins 3, 1, 13', 1 1.

The springs 5' and 12 are in one piece, their ends are bent around the pins 3, 1, 18, 1 1 and they carry at their center the centrifugal masses 10, 11; these may be two disks; the masses and formed, for example, by two masses arranged on each side of each spring and attached by pins and by a screw.

As in the preceding case, the springs 5 and 12 tend to cause the two disks 1 and 2 to approach one another, the centrifugal masses arranging themselves near the center of the shaft. When the speed increases, if it is assumed that the disk 1 is fixed with its brackets 3' and 4', the pins 13 and 1 1 are displaced in such a manner as to take up the position 23 and 2i'shown in dotted lines, the springs becoming deformed and taking'up the position 21, 22, the masses assuming the position 19, 20.

The movement can be limited by a stop or by the flanges 1-2' of the disks (Fig. 6).

It will be understood that the form of the various members may be modified, without departing from the scope of the invention. The massesmay be varied in shape in order to reduce the cost and facilitate manufacture, and the parts may be cast in iron, brass, lead, etc., or of extruded metal or simply tubular. i

I claim:

1. In a combined coupling and speed governing mechanism for magneto shafts and the like, comprising a driving shaft, a driven resilient connections adapted to form a cen trifugal governor for controlling the relative positions of said shafts.

2. In a combined coupling and speed governing mechanism for magneto shafts and the like, comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, complementary'disks carried by each shaft, diametrically I disposed brackets or lugs carried by each disk, resilient means connecting the brackets of one disk to the brackets of the corresponding disk and weighted means carried by said resilient connections adapted to form a centrifugal governor for controlling the relative positions of said shafts.

3. In a combined coupling and speed governing mechanism for magneto shafts and the like, comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, complementary disks carried by each shaft, diametrically disposed brackets or lugs carried by each disk, deformable springs connecting the brackets of one disk to the brackets of the corresponding disk and weighted means carried by each spring intermediate its supporting brackets adapted to form a centrifugal governor for controlling the relative positions of said shafts.

lugs carried by each disk, deformable 13o governor for controlling the relative positions of said shafts circumferentially, and an inwardly projecting annular flange car- 1 ried by the disks for limiting the outward movements of said weights.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

AUGUSTE DUTREUX. 

